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Kicked out: Alabama's undefeated season ends on another Auburn miracle

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Auburn cornerback Chris Davis (11) returns a missed field goal attempt 100-plus yards to score the game-winning touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against No. 1 Alabama in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. Auburn won 34-28. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn's latest miracle finish -- even more stunning than the first -- was Alabama's disaster.

While Auburn fans streamed by the thousands onto the Jordan-Hare Stadium turf following the most improbable ending in Iron Bowl history, Alabama players stood in shock after the Tigers' 34-28 victory. Chris Davis' 100-yard, game-ending touchdown run off a missed Alabama field goal was the crowning moment on a game full of missed opportunities and uncharacteristic mistakes for the two-time defending national champions.

"First time I’ve ever lost a game that way," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "First time I’ve
ever seen a game lost that way."

The Crimson Tide, which has made its mark during this run of three national championships in four years with lopsided, almost boring, endings, was its own worst enemy in a fourth quarter that started in such promising fashion. Because of it, Auburn is headed to the SEC Championship, where it will face South Carolina or Missouri, while Alabama will wait to see how the cards settle.

"After a loss, it's never good," defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan said. "Guys feel like we could have done things differently and the outcome could have been different."

With the game tied and Alabama backed up on its own 1-yard line for a second consecutive possession, AJ McCarron and Amari Cooper
hooked up for the longest pass play in Alabama history. The Alabama
senior quarterback went long and Cooper went longer. The 99-yard catch
snapped a 21-21 tie with 10:28 to play and gave the Crimson Tide a lead it would hold until
the final 32 seconds.

Two big stops momentarily preserved the lead. Alabama finally caved on the third.

In between, Alabama's offense entered Auburn territory on back-to-back possessions with a chance to extend its lead to two possessions. It came away with nothing after it was stuffed on fourth-and-1 on the first opportunity and had a 44-yard field goal blocked on the second.

"We just did not make the plays when we needed to make them on third and fourth down today to get this chance to win," Saban said. "I think you have to give Auburn's players a lot of credit. They have had a great season. They played a great game."

Auburn
took over with 2:32 to play and went back to its ground game, which gashed Alabama's defense for 296 yards on 52 carries. After six consecutive run plays put Auburn into Alabama territory, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall faked a run, stopped and found a wide-open Sammie Coates for the game-tying, 39-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds to play.

"We actually had bracket coverage on the guy, but the safety is supposed to come out of the top on an outside release and the corner is supposed to stay with the guy," Saban said. "The corner did not stay with the guy. You have to have tremendous discipline to play against this offense."

Alabama took over at its own 29-yard line with two timeouts and 25 seconds. After an incomplete pass, T.J. Yeldon ran 9 yards. Alabama called a timeout to set up Yeldon's 24-yard run down the left sidelines that initially appeared to end with the clock at zero.

An official review put 1 second back on the clock with Alabama at Auburn's 39-yard line. Instead of senior Cade Foster, who missed two field goals and had another blocked early in the fourth quarter, Saban summoned redshirt freshman Adam Griffith, who had attempted just two field goals in his career.

“Griff
makes them from 60 in practice so there was a shot,” Saban said. “We
had the wind behind us. We had the wind in the fourth quarter. He didn’t
hit it great, but we still should have covered it. The game shouldn’t
have ended that way.”

Griffith's
kick was on target, but was a few yards short. Davis ran toward the middle and then
down the sidelines untouched as time expired.

"Slow
motion," McCarron said. "I mean, it was one of those crazy plays. It was almost like a video
game … It was just a wild play.”

The first half featured three momentum swings -- two of which were led by Auburn -- and Alabama on top by a touchdown.

The Crimson Tide's first possession started promising but ended with nothing, as Fostermissed his first field goal attempt, a 44-yarder.

The Tigers struck for points on their second possession, as Marshall zipped up the middle on a zone read for a 45-yard touchdown -- the second longest run surrendered by Alabama all season.

Auburn's rushing attack nearly hit what Alabama averaged surrendering by the end of the first quarter.

"As far as getting our edges, that's mainly what hurt us," said linebacker C.J. Mosley, who finished with 14 tackles. "They did a good job with their run scheme and they ran the ball up the middle. When they started cutting our edges is when they made big plays on us."

A fourth-and-2 conversion inside Auburn territory put the game in Alabama's hands through most of the second quarter. McCarron found tight end O.J. Howard for a 12-yard gain and the Crimson Tide scored a few plays later on a 3-yard pass to Jalston Fowler.

A Landon Collins fumble recovery set up Alabama's second touchdown, a 20-yard pass from McCarron to Kevin Norwood right down the heart of Auburn's defense. Cooper's 28-yard reverse run preceded Yeldon's 1-yard touchdown to put the Crimson Tide ahead, 21-7, with 3:48 remaining in the first half.

The Tigers responded with a dominating, run-heavy possession to close the gap. A 40-yard Mason run moved Auburn deep into Alabama territory and Mason capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.

"We did not close and do the things we were supposed to do and they hit us for a couple of big runs," Saban said. "We had some big stops and had every opportunity to win the game. We just came up a little short."

Auburn motored down the field on its opening possession of the second half to tie it, 21-21.Marshall's 13-yard pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah in double coverage capped a possession that did not feature a third down.

With an opportunity to take an early lead in the fourth quarter, Alabama
got nothing out of a possession that started at its own 1-yard line and
spanned more than 7 minutes.Foster missed his second attempt of the game, a 33-yarder, wide left to keep it tied.

"I told the team that I was proud of the way they played all season long and the way they have improved as a team," Saban said. "We are very proud of our football team to win 11 games. I still think we have one of the best teams in the country."